The price of oil has been driven higher by the latest round of escalations in the Middle East, renewing fears of a drastic global energy shock. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – jumped over six per cent on Monday morning to over $96. It follows a weekend of tensions where shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has once again ground to a halt following a brief opening on Friday. The regime in Tehran has warned that the new closure will remain in place until the US blockade is lifted. In a Truth Social post on Sunday,…

China is on track to import record-high volumes of ethane from the United States this month as Chinese and other Asian petrochemicals producers rush to secure replacement feedstock amid plunging naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply from the Middle East. China is expected to import as many as 800,000 tons of U.S. ethane in April, which would be a record high for any month and about 60% higher compared than the usual monthly imports of the feedstock from the United States, per estimates from Chinese consultancy JLC cited by Bloomberg.…

In a “perilous position,” the Platts Dubai benchmark used to price around 18 million barrels per day, nearly a fifth of global supply, is now severely strained by the halt in exports through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, with most cargoes having been unable to move safely through the chokepoint, the system is grappling with a fundamental question of how to price oil that cannot be loaded. The situation remains largely unchanged as of today, despite Washington’s announcement that the Strait is officially open for…

In April 2026, a new 500 MW sodium-cooled reactor in Kalpakkam, India, attained criticality. The reactor maintained a nuclear chain reaction—which is a pretty big step for any new nuclear plant. There are a number of things that struck us about this news. The haters and skeptics will point out that this unit began construction in 2004 with a 2010 expected completion date. No cost escalation figures were provided by the Indian government. But the real question here is why a molten salt reactor? It’s not a new technology. President Jimmy…

Accelerated refinery closures in the past decade and increased dependence on kerosene from the Middle East have exposed Europe’s energy supply vulnerability once again. For years, European consumers have had to contend with last-minute strikes of ground personnel and cabin crew during peak summer travel. This year, strikes may be viewed as a minor nuisance compared to what’s coming within weeks—a jet fuel supply crisis that could ground flights and hike fares. The war in Iran has cut most of Europe’s imports of jet fuel,…

As technology continues to improve, many renewable energy developers are increasingly using automation to develop commercial-scale projects, such as solar and wind farms. Tech companies have made significant improvements to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic equipment in recent years, with different types of robots now available to perform a wide variety of tasks. This is reducing the burden on humans in the development phase of new renewable energy projects, with robots now capable of conducting tasks that may be dangerous for people to…

The United Kingdom has been rapidly increasing its deployment of new renewable energy capacity in recent years, to the point that it now has some to spare during peak production hours. While the U.K. gradually increases its battery storage, the government is encouraging consumers to use more electricity during certain times of the day to help shift reliance away from fossil fuels to green alternatives. Consumers are being asked by the government to use high-consumption appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, as well as electric vehicle…